Trouble I Can Cause
by MerelyLily
Summary: I suppose if he told me he saw me steal, and I denied it, but he insisted he saw me, I'd somehow need to prove he didn't see me, which could very well end up with me blurting out how I did steal his coin and how I knew he didn't see me because I'm a better thief than that. At least I wasn't the type to fall into word-traps. Damned con-men, you'd think they could do better.


**Author's Note**: Basically, this is me expanding on the Thieves Guild questline, POV of female character who is NOT the Dragonborn. Brynjolf/OC.

Please, review.

I might talk a bit more in my next AN, I'm tired.

**Disclaimer:** I obviously own nothing you recognize.

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**Chapter 1: An Apple For An Eye**

I woke up, grinning for the day ahead. I had some rather vague plans to cause havoc. I never really planned ahead for anything I did. I was always extremely talented at improvising with my surroundings; definitely a helpful talent for a thief who had been seen by a guard. Some days, I would allow myself to be seen on purpose, just because I enjoy it. If I'm caught, so I go to jail for a bit. I could usually pay, anyways. At least I wasn't dead, and in my world, that was the most important thing. No, second most important. The most important thing was an interesting life – which I definitely had in thieving.

I was staying at Windhelm, at Candlehearth Hall. I travelled light, most of the time. I had only my one satchel, which happened to contain some items of questionable natures. I have a little house in Whiterun, and another back in Cyrodiil, but I only actually stopped back every once and a while. I travelled with most of my gold on me, but my houses held quite a few valuables. I usually stole my way around.

Aside from stealing, though, I had a fondness for causing, let's say, ruckuses. I held some odd enjoyment for being chased by guards and knowing I'll _always_ outwit them. I was a talented lockpick, great at stealth and sneaking about, and overall a capable thief – as long as I wasn't trying to pickpocket. I was an awful pickpocket. I admit, I've knocked someone over the head in an alleyway to get what was inside their pockets, but I've seldom successfully picket a pocket. I do it only when the opportunity is too good to pass up, or when absolutely necessary. I worked with the guild in Cyrodiil when I was a child, my mother had been a member, and I had nothing against working with others. I left when I was about twenty one, just for the opportunity to see the world, but I always knew I'd probably go back to the guild someday. When the mood struck.

I buckled my light leather armor, which was full of little pockets, and slung my quiver of steel arrows over my back, followed by my, stolen, elven bow. I put my belt on, which had a few pockets, as well as two orcish daggers, and an elvish one with a fire enchantment on it. I was amazing with my bow – I'd been learning since I could hold the thing, and learning to use a sword since I was not much older. I usually didn't carry my sword, though I did have a nice glass one back in Whiterun. Daggers were more inconspicuous.

I exited the inn from the ground floor, turning right towards the marketplace. It was snowing, again, because Windhelm _needed_ to be cold. I walked past a guard, and plastered a massive smile on my face the entire time. I hoped it worried him, and I think it might have. I wanted to get out of Windhelm today, though, and I wasn't planning on returning any time soon. There'd been a lot of rumours of this Butcher, murdering young women. I meant to be out of that place. Of course, if I plan on leaving and not returning, I was going to cause a ruckus. It's my way.

I started by filling my pockets. Yes, in the light of day, in the middle of the marketplace. I knew my stuff. I grew up with my mother in the Thieves Guild, back in Cyrodiil, and my father next to nonexistent, as I rarely saw him, but I knew he and mother would speak on occasion, about me. Mother was teaching my since I was old enough to understand that my friends couldn't know. My friends, even, had be dedicating myself even further into my line of work. Not when they were my friends, of course, but rather later, when we were fifteen or so. Now, ten years later, and I still thank them for betraying me, in my own way.

My mother died when I was sixteen, leaving me alone with the guild, after I didn't even have my friends anymore, and my father never around. Father showed up a few months later, and he was trying, but he didn't want me stealing. I learned to lie to him and others, another valuable skill.

I won't get into that now, I'm sure I'll speak of it later. Sadly, there wasn't a whole lot to fill my pockets with. There was quite a bit of food, and some larger items not made for this kind of thievery. Loath to leave without anything, I slipped into The White Phial. I made sure to open the door as quietly as possible, which worked well. Inside, there were two men having a conversation halfway inside the storeroom. Neither noticed me, and I blessed my luck as I slipped up the wooden stairs to the right as quickly and quietly as I could, my enchanted boots helping. They were muffled, and they were the only enchanted items I had on me, except for my dagger, but I preferred not to use it except for in really dire situations.

Upstairs was luckily empty upon inspection. Usually, if I had a specific purpose or a more serious intent to remain in the city, I wouldn't have recklessly tried to rob a shop in the middle of the day. It almost always backfired when I did, but I meant for this to backfire.

I appraised the room. Usually, I targeted shops at night. They almost always had a strongbox somewhere. I didn't notice the strongbox at first glance, but I stuffed a row of healing potions into my bag from a nearby shelf. I made my way across the room, towards the bedroom. Inside the bedroom, I noticed immediately the leger on the desk, and next to it, the strongbox. I knelt down and started picking the lock. It wasn't a difficult one, and inside I found a nice fat sack of gold. I surveyed the room one more time and snatched a full bottle of Nord mead off the bedside table with a grin before heading back towards the staircase.

I stopped dead when I heard two voices and footsteps on the stairs. I glanced around and slipped over to the opposite end of the stairs, so that their backs would be to me when they walked. It was weak, to say the least, but I wasn't in a position to find anything better. It might work if I was lucky. The last of the men reached the top step, and I swung down onto the main floor, skipping the stairs entirely. I landed without a noise thanks to my boots, but the impact almost made my legs give way and I steadied myself on the counter.

Neither noticed, to my credit (or my luck), and I slipped out of the door contentedly. I decided that with nothing worth stealing in the marketplace, I'd slip up to one of those big fancy houses for the powerful families and clean one out before making my exit.

I walked crossed through the graveyard and made my way along the street, seeing four massive houses of note. I made my way to the farthest away, noting that the street was almost empty of people. The guards were around a corner, and wouldn't notice me if I picked the lock on the far door. I walked up the street as though I belonged there, and only started sneaking about when I was passed the guards. I snuck over to the door and put a lockpick in the lock, working away.

Soon, the lock gave way and I slipped inside the house, hoping for it to be empty of people and full of valuables. There was no one in the vicinity when I arrived there.

I wandered around the first room, pocketing a healing potion and a stamina potion. I checked a wardrobe and pulled out a few loose coins. There was nothing else of interest in that room, and I slipped into the next one carefully, finding it also devoid of people. There were more loose coins in a wardrobe. The weapons rack was regretfully empty, and most of the room was, too. I hoped the upstairs would be more profitable. There was a table, but no food on it, of course. There were a couple of things left to cook over the fire, but nothing of interest. I pocketed one more bottle of Nord mead. It was a favourite.

There was a wide staircase to the left of the room, which I made my way up. There was another large room. There was a huge, fancy fireplace in the center of the room, some shelves, a table, and some benches. A little table sat to the right of the stairs. I grabbed a light coin purse off the larger table, and contemplated the steel sword, but I decided it was too cumbersome. Everything else in the room was unimportant.

In the next room, which had a couple of wardrobes, a shelf, and a bed. I grabbed the healing potions off the shelf and found eight gold pieces in the wardrobes. I stole a nice candlestick off the end table. There was an adjoining room, too, and I found a garnet, about thirty gold in a chest, more health potions and one of stamina, and another bottle of Nord mead.

I went back through the main room the other adjoining bedrooms. I found a few more potions and mead, and more of those in the second, as well as a handful of gold. I walked easily back into the main room, content enough. Next to the stairs, something shiny on the small table caught my eye, and I bent over to snatch up the necklace. I held it up to my face. It was beautiful, silver with emeralds. It would be worth quite a bit, I guessed. I was in the process of stuffing it into a pocket when a woman walking up the stairs, who probably lived there, I supposed, stopped dead.

"Thief!" she yelled in surprise. I glanced around, not particularly feeling like murder that day, and noticed two massive decorative jugs along the wall next to the stairs. I wasn't able to lift them, but I gave the one closer to the stairs a hard kick and sent it down the stairs at the woman. She dodged the metal pot, but she landed on the ground in the process. I hurried down the stairs and jumped over her with a grin. I sprinted across the room to the door and mock-saluted her as she picked herself up off the ground.

"You'll be glad to know you have nothing left," I told her, grinned, and exited the house. She followed behind me, calling for guards. Outside, I ran straight down the middle of the street I turned left toward the Palace of the Kings at the bottom of the stairs, a bewildered guard drawing his weapon because of the woman running to the edge of her fence, calling for someone to arrest the 'filthy Redguard thief'.

"Stop, in the…" the guard started to recite, but I ran past him.

"You'll have to catch me first!" I cut him off. I ran to the corner and flew around it, the guard starting off after me. I turned the corner and accidentally bowled over a young woman, but I didn't stop for that. I exited the street into the courtyard in front of the keep. There were two more guards, and a beggar warming herself next to the fire. In Cyrodiil, the beggars were eyes and ears for the guild. I wasn't sure how it worked here in Skyrim, but I stuck my hand in my pocket as I ran by and tossed her a handful of gold. It was always good to have ears. I tipped my head to her.

The guard chasing me was hailing the two keep guards, and they joined in, following me with drawn weapons. Good thing they weren't archers. One had a sword, the other two had warhammers. I sprinted as quickly as I could to get ahead of the guards, and veered left to the Gray Quarter. I went down the smaller alleyway, the guards a little ways behind me. I was down the stairs quickly, and I rushed passed another guard with a war axe.

"Watch it!" she yelled at me as I almost knocked her over. She would be following me soon, when the other three guards passed her. I ran up the next flight of stairs, and when I saw a dark elf sitting on the ledge with his legs over the side, I veered into the Dunmer cornerclub. There was a square pillar in the entryway. I slipped behind it before the guards could see I'd gone there, and the four of them charged on through the Gray Quarter, passed me. I went into their cornerclub. I sat down at the bar and greeted the bartender.

"Hello!" I said, too cheerily for him, apparently. "Nord mead, please. They may be racist bastards, but they make good mead."

I placed a couple of coins on the bar. The man put a bottle in front of me with a questioning look, but said nothing. I took a couple drinks, but I was only inside for a few minutes I grinned at the bartender and dropped another couple coins on the bar.

"I wasn't here." I told him before exiting the place. It was probably for his own good that I wasn't there, rather than my own, but it was a bit of a reaction. I made my way left when I was outside, I made my way back up towards the main section of the city.

There was a clearing with a convenient pile of barrels next to one of the gates, unguarded, which I quickly dove behind. There were pairs of guards moving about, asking people about a Redguard woman, most likely at the behest of a woman whose house had been cleaned of all valuable. There was a door to exit Windhelm, or I could continue… I moved along, and when the pair of guards were paying attention to where I was, I slipped over to the covered section of pathway.

The stairs led back up to the main courtyard. On one side, the wall fell away to become a house, and on the other it just shrunk into nothing. I stayed hidden behind that wall, moving up to the end in a crouch. I looked around the corner, noticing multiple patrols. That woman must be influential. Damn. They were all around the corner of the inn, though. There was an archway and a short wall not far away, but I could really only get over there unseen if luck was on my side.

I decided to attempt it when I couldn't see anyone who was looking, but I wasn't putting too much thought into my actions at that point. So far, I hadn't really gotten to cause any ridiculous amount of havoc, which was disappointing. Once, in Chorrol, back in Cyrodiil, I broke into a house every night, and emptied it of potatoes, hiding them in the same barrels every night, until most of the houses had been hit. Then, the next night, I lugged them all out into the city proper and dumped out the potatoes.

I sprinted over and ducked behind the wall again, waiting for the guards' reactions. When nothing happened after a minute, and looked around the area I was in. There was a door to a house, a bench, and ledges all around. I walked over to the bench and stood on it. I used the tree growing up on the ledge as a handhold and hauled myself up. In the corner, there was a balcony to the next house over, and then on the other side of it there was a few feet of a drop and more ledge, where I would be able to get up on top of the archway if it wasn't too icy.

I clambered onto the balcony easily enough, though I cursed the cold. It was small, and not truly a balcony, but there was a window through which I could see an attic full of barrels. I drew a dagger and stuck it through the window pane, jerkily prying it open with a clang. Had anyone been inside, they would have heard it. I had no idea if anyone was. It was a tight fit, but I crawled inside. I opened a few barrels, finding them full of fruit, vegetables, and other food. I grabbed a couple of sacks, too, with a bit of food, but not full.

Reminiscent of the potato robbery in Chorrol, I filled my arms with tomatoes, potatoes, and apples alike. I dumped them outside onto the balcony. I climbed out after, ignoring the property damage I'd just committed. I sat with my legs hanging over the edge, leaning against the house. It had stopped snowing, and I noticed that Windhelm was actually capable of looking decently beautiful. After a rest, I stuffed the food into the sacks and dropped them down into the ledge that would lead over to the archway. I followed them and lugged the two sacks up behind me before I crouched down on top of the balcony. I was glad I wasn't afraid of heights.

I whistled loudly, grabbing the attention of three nearby guards and a couple of civilians. I smiled and wiggled my fingers at two of the guards before pulling a tomato out of my sack and throwing it at the nearest one. I pulled out more, continuing to pelt the guard with food, and once I hit a civilian, those scattered out of range, but there was a small crowd growing, watching the Redguard thief stand on top of a stone archway and mock the guards as she pelted them with food. I grinned.

"Which of you did I tell needed to catch me?" I called down. "Oh, it doesn't matter. You're all decidedly useless. Can't catch one thief. I'm not even _trying_. Is this the best you've got? Pathetic!"

"Go find an archer!" one of the guards ordered another. I launched a potato at him, which his him in the shoulder. He had his sword out, but that wasn't doing him any good.

"Oh, look! One with half a brain!" I yelled cheerily. "What does that make the others?"

A tomato splattered on one of the guards' helms. I emptied the first bag of food, moving on to the second. I smiled lopsidedly. "Perhaps cows?" I suggested. "No, skeevers, maybe. Those bite damn hard, you know."

_Whoosh_. An arrow flew passed me head and I ducked. _Time to go._ I picked an apple out of the bag, took a bite, and kicked the rest over the side, I straightened up and launched myself onto the roof to my right, scampering across the house. I slipped, landing on my side, but on the side of the roof that was facing the city walls. It was a shame it was too high for me to jump down the other side. The guards couldn't see me anymore as I stepped onto the walls themselves, keeping low and moving slowly so I didn't slip again. If I did, it would be to my death. I crawled along the walls over to the main city gates before sliding down the railing-type thing next to the gate. It was at the perfect height, and I managed to make it to the ground without much injury. I fell and rolled, though, and as I stood, four guards were standing in front of me.

"By order of the Jarl…"

"Yeah, yeah, done it before," I mock sighed. The gates were to my back. "But, the thing is…" I started, backing up ever so slowly, trying to look like I was intimidated. I tried to look scared. I was talented at fake emotions, too. Once my back was touching the doors, I stopped moving, and trying to look effectively cowed. "You see…" My expression changed to a grin. "I'm still more intelligent than you." I finished quickly and whipped the apple I was still holding as hard as I could into the gap in the archer's helm, hitting her in the right eye. I hoped it would bruise. I slid hurriedly out the doors backwards, turning around and sprinting down the bridge as I exited.

There were two more guards who I sprinted passed, into the archway. Immediately on the other side of the short arch, a guard stepped out of the left and had a sword threatening to run me through. I turned to face her, backing up slowly, my hands raised in surrender, but I was still moving. Inside the walls on this bridge, there were odd tunnels that the guards used, probably during storms or something, and there were massive door shaped gaps that opened up over the river. I backed up inside, the other guards catching up and stopped to watch with their weapons drawn as well.

I lowered my hands slowly, trying to get as far back as I could into the tunnels before breaking without walking off the edge. I stopped in the middle of the room-thing (I wasn't entirely sure what to call these off tunnels), and smiled sheepishly.

"Divines bless spring, but this will _still_ be damned cold," I told her matter-of-factly, before jerking to the right and following the tunnels through. There was a ramp downwards, which I didn't go down, but rather I went out the door onto the one-person wide balcony with a knee-high wall. It would've been nerve wracking in any other situation, but I was glad. An arrow flew passed me, and I darted left so that the wall blocked me, but the guards were only a few feet behind me as I hurried along the balcony. I reached the end of the balcony and I was finally surrounded at all angles by guards or by a massive drop into freezing cold water.

I smiled nervously and leaped backwards over the edge, trying to put as large a gap between the wall and I as I fell. I refrained from yelling, only barely. I plummeted into the freezing water with a splash, my mind going blank for all else but to _get out of the gods damned water_. I was floating with the current, making my way under the bridge to where the guards' arrows wouldn't reach me before I climbed onto the ice. I lay there for a few moments, breathing heavily. Everything I had was soaked, now, and I did _not _was frostbite. Or hypothermia.

Before anything else, I knew I'd need to get back in the water. There was no way for me to walk to shore. I braced myself, not making any effort to stop shaking so much, and dove in, swimming across the short gap as quickly as I could. I stopped at a patch of land under an overhang of rock next to the stone bridge. I huddled underneath of it, glad there was a convenient place devoid of snow, however small. It was convenient, though. I pulled my bow, quiver, and daggers off before trying to get enough command to finish unbuckling my armor.

I have no idea how long that took me, as when you're so cold it's blinding, you do everything in an instinctive rush and certain things, like time, are erased from your mind. Even my clothes were wet, and I rapidly found myself stripping to my underclothes. Those were pretty wet, too, but there were odd dry patches. I was shivering furiously, but I knew it was always better to get rid of your wet clothes. I huddled my limbs together and pulled my satchel to me. There were a few pockets. Some of the things I'd stolen were in there, and my gold. Some of the smaller things I had were in pockets in my armor or clothes. My satchel itself was wet, and I was looking for anything I should drop.

I dropped any food that shouldn't be wet, and I pulled out my spare clothes. It was a simple dress rather than my tunic and breeches for under my armor. The dress was also soaked, I realized with disappointment. I shoved it back in the bag. So was my bedroll. I put my stuff back together.

My hands were shaking as I pulled on my partially wet shirt, some of which had been protected by the leather armor. I hugged myself. I had nothing to start a fire with. At the moment, my best hope would be the Windhelm stables. I pulled my things together and hauled myself to my feet. I was still pantless, but I didn't care at the moment.

I walked around the rocky area on the ice until I could scale a less steep section of the hill. I did so hesitantly, wondering if the guards had lost interest when I dove off the bridge, of had left me for dead, or were looking for me still. When I reached the top, I saw no guards, but I saw the Khajiit traders. I was thrilled. They had a fire. If they were the caravan I knew, they'd let me warm myself. I hurried over, dripping wet still. I knew Ma'dran, and Ri'saad's caravans. I was thrilled to come up behind the camp and recognize Ma'dran.

"Ma- Ma'dran!" I exclaimed, quietly. I walked over to the Khajiits.

"Attee," Ma'dran greeted. I smiled. "Why is this one wet?"

"I- t-the guards. I w-was… well, t-they w-were chasing m-me, so I-I j-jumped off the b-bridge," I stuttered, my bottom lip shaking as I shivered. "I h-have goods-s to t-trade, and I c-can pay, b-but c-can I s-stay b-by y-your f-f-fire?"

"Of course, of course," Ma'dran stood and led me over to the fire. "Come warm and we can do business, friend."

I sat on a stump and started feeling warmer already as I thawed out gradually by the fire. I would be alright. Once my face was thawed enough to speak properly, I started doing business with Ma'dran.

"Can you sell me some clothes to travel i-in?" I asked him, and pulled my wet satchel to myself, I dropped my fat coin purse next to it, and I started slowly organizing things. I pulled out my spare clothes and heaped them next to the fire, and my breeches. I'd carried m leather armor so far, as it wouldn't fit in the bag with everything else there. I pushed the potions into their proper pocket. I left three of my bottles of mead in the main pocket, and opened the fourth. I put the loose garnet with the little pouch of gems. I pulled out a few things to sell, too. The inlaid candlestick, first, as well as the silver and emerald necklace. The necklace made me 280 gold, and the candlestick about 25.

Ma'dran offered me a few sets of clothes to choose from, and I bought a pair of leggings and two tunics, as well as a new pair of leather boots. I was allowed to change quickly in his tent. I tied my hair back with a leather strap. I used my semi-wet shirt to try off my weapons partially before putting them back on my person. My satchel was mostly dry on the outside, but I would need to turn it inside out when I had a proper camp. Everything inside would survive for now, though. I put my things together, and sat by the fire for a few more minutes, finishing my mead. I left my wet clothes there, but brought my armor with me.

"Thank you, Ma'dran, for your help," I told him, and I had left a few gold by the fire, which he would find. Ma'dran nodded.

"Fare well, friend," he bid me. "We will do business again soon."

I nodded and smiled, before heading in the direction of the stables. It was probably mid-afternoon, now, and I hadn't eaten lunch, I realized, and stopped, turning to Ma'dran.

"Could I buy a bit of food, before I go?"

Ma'dran nodded, and pulled out his wares. After I ate and said goodbye once again, I headed for the stables, again. I made my way over, sneaking up behind the stables themselves. I was scouting for guards, which there was one of. There was one at the end of the bridge, probably watching for me. There was the carriage driver, but he was facing away from where I was. There weren't any of the stable workers about at the moment. There were two horses, both bridled, and one saddled. Both were tied on by the bridle. I hopped silently over the fence, into the saddled horse's stall, ducking behind.

I wasn't perfectly hidden, but I was behind the horse enough that I wasn't blatantly standing there. I untied the horse and mounted, attaching my satchel to the back. I was glad for the complimentary bedroll that came with the horse, because mine was soaked still. I squeezed and walked out of the stall before I brought the horse to a canter and waved at the guard as I passed him, riding west. I heard yelling and guards rushing about for a bit, but the noise all faded into the background. They would try, but they wouldn't find me now. I crossed a stone bridge, irritated by the mountain next to me. I was heading west to throw them off. I wanted to go southeast, to Riften. I hadn't been to Riften yet – the infamous home of the Skyrim Thieves Guild.

Luckily, there was soon a split in the road and I veered left, heading south. I kept the horse cantering for a while, before slowing to a trot. I was thrilled when the thin, but permanent layer of snow surrounding Windhelm melted away. Soon I was in marshes that unnerved me slightly, but I kept riding through them.

About two and a half hours, and I was through the marshes and back on the path, headed towards Riften, still. Four and a half hours later, six wolves, and a giant (which I outran) later, I found a village called Shor's Stone. Apparently, I was in the Rift, now. I had no bounty here, unless they got mad because I arrived on a stolen horse. It was barely evening now, and still perfectly light out. I wondered if I should still keep riding.

In Shor's Stone, I found a travelling Khajiit caravan I didn't know. I stopped to ask how far to Riften, and decided I would keep riding. I'd be in Riften by dark, and I wasn't really hungry. I thanked Ahkari, the Khajiit trader, and continued to travel.

It was about another hour and a half to Riften. The journey wasn't bad, as far as they go. I spotted a three wooden watchtowers, and let the horse loose. I put my satchel on my back, taking the bedroll from the horse rather than my own, which I tied on and left, then made my way up the path. I walked up to the gate, passed the stables.

"Hold there. Before I let you into Riften, you need to pay the visitor's tax," the guard at the gate stopped me. I creased my eyebrows and crossed my arms.

"Visitor's tax." I repeated. _I've been to every city in Cyrodiil, most of the ones in Skyrim, I've been to High Rock, to Morrowind, and I've never been asked for a visitor's tax. _

"Yes. To enter the city. What does it matter?"

I rolled my eyes. _Yeah, right._ "This is _obviously_ a shakedown!" I argued, raising my voice at the last word. The guard raised his hands.

"All right, keep your voice down. Do you want everyone to hear you? Fine, fine, I'll just let you in. The gate's unlocked, you can go in whenever." I smiled falsely and opened the gate, heading into the city.

Riften looked a little run down. It was mostly made of wood, unlike Windhelm, which was stone. I walked along, heading farther into the city, when someone stopped me.

"I don't know you. You in Riften looking for trouble?" a rather large man in plate armor asked me harshly. I snorted.

"And what business of that is yours?"

"Don't say something you'll regret. The last thing the Black-Briars need is some loudmouth meddling in their affairs," the man said gruffly.

"Black-Briars?" I questioned, crossing my arms and ignoring the threat. _Pah._

"The Black-Briars have Riften in their pocket, and the Thieves Guild and their back, so keep your nose out of their business. Me? I'm Maul. I watch the streets for them. If you need dirt on anything, I'm your guy… but it'll cost you." _Like I care about your damned Black-Briars. Oh, and Maul? What kind of name is that? Do you regularly maul people? With a maul? _I inwardly rolled my eyes, again. I doubted this guy was all talk, but I was sure that he could sufficiently intimidate just about everyone in Riften. I almost scoffed.

"Dirt, hmm?" I questioned. I shrugged and tossed him some gold.

"Pleasure doing business with you. What do you want to know?"

"What can you tell me about the Thieves Guild?" I asked. Need to know about the competition, don't you? I was actually curious about how the guild worked here. There wasn't much contact between guilds, except on occasion for business.

"You kidding? My brother Dirge works in their hideout. I used to run with em' myself, but took a job with Maven after they started hitting a rough patch. If you want in on that action, talk to Brynjolf in the marketplace. I'm sure they could use someone like you."

I hummed noncommittally. "How would I know him?"

"Tall Nord. Red hair. Most don't miss him." With that, Maul stalked away. I continued farther into the city. Riften stretched over a Canal, and seemed to have two levels. I crossed a bridge where two people were having some kind of argument about a debt. Definitely going to stay out of that one.

I walked along. It was getting dark, and I was hungry. I decided to find the tavern. I huffed, thinking that I should've asked Maul about that, too. A guard walked by and I stepped in front of them.

"Excuse me?" I asked, trying to be polite. I was capable of doing so, despite what people might tell you. "Is there somewhere I can stay around here?"

The guard gestured to a door to the left. "Try the Bee and the Bard," he said before continuing to walk. I went in through the door he'd gestured at. I glanced around the room. It was pretty full. There were people at most of the tables. I walked over to the innkeep.

"What can I get you? Mead? Wine?" the Argonian asked when I approached.

"A room?" I questioned. She nodded.

"Ten gold, and it's yours for a night," she told me. I nodded and passed her the coin.

"Thank you. And some mead?" She nodded, and I placed a couple coins on the counter. She passed me the bottle and picked up the coin. I wandered over to a table at the edge of a room and started drinking my mead.

I looked around the room. Everyone seemed to be dressed fancily, and I felt rather out of place. I was just in a simple pair of leggings and tunic after my little dip in the river back in Windhelm. I picked up a chunk of bread already on the table and started eating. There was one woman in breeches, though, leaning against a wall and looking irritable.

If everyone in Riften was dressed so fancily, it was quite possible I'd be richer than when I arrived. And hopefully less wet, but the chances of that were slim seeing as there's a canal, and water is just such a convenient escape route. At least this water was probably only cold at first. It seemed like back in Cyrodiil, where we could swim in the lake.

I finished the hunk of bread, and decided that I'd prefer sleep to food, so I made my way upstairs to me room. I locked the door and put my satchel on the cupboard and proceeded to empty its contents. I put all the potions out, all of my various jewels, jewellery itself. My armor, which had been shoved as far as it would go into the bag. I emptied its pockets, but I didn't have much in them. I put my purse out, which was quite fat at the moment. I had most of my wealth in gold rather than items at the moment. I turned the satchel inside out and left it to dry fully as I pulled back the covers and drifted quickly into sleep, looking back on the day quite content with the progress I'd made. Visitor in Windhelm, to wanted thief in Windhelm, to pelting guards with food, to diving off a bridge into icy water, to visiting the Khajiits, to travelling on a stolen horse, to an innocent traveller at the inn in Riften...


End file.
